Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lusaka Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lusaka

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $907 in Lusaka.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,534 in Lusaka.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $2,161 in Lusaka.

Living in Medellin is roughly 89% more expensive than in Lusaka, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Lusaka is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$5.70 ZMW 109

40.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$31.91 ZMW 609

51.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$5.31 ZMW 101

83.99%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$2.98 ZMW 57.0

-2.35%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 COP 6,110

$0.82 ZMW 15.73

136.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.47 ZMW 9.02

223.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$1.36 ZMW 25.95

127.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$2.34 ZMW 44.68

145.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$1.86 ZMW 35.53

-26.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$1.25 ZMW 23.79

91.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$2.19 ZMW 41.74

-22.37%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$2.05 ZMW 39.17

40.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$10.75 ZMW 205

-7.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$6.54 ZMW 125

64.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$6.75 ZMW 129

118.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$3.55 ZMW 67.9

15.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$2.50 ZMW 47.66

-37.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$3.72 ZMW 71.0

-42.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$1.59 ZMW 30.34

38.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$2.74 ZMW 52.3

-25.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$1.97 ZMW 37.63

-23.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$1.15 ZMW 21.91

3.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$0.83 ZMW 15.77

39.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.22 ZMW 61.4

21.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$10.52 ZMW 201

37.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$1.48 ZMW 28.18

6.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$2.47 ZMW 47.26

14.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

$1.02 ZMW 19.56

14.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

$52.1 ZMW 995

49.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$2.67 ZMW 51.1

-52.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$1.56 ZMW 29.78

33.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$5.23 ZMW 99.9

64.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$1.58 ZMW 30.13

-17.72%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$7,791 ZMW 148.8K

254.99%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$27.7K ZMW 529.1K

28.18%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$176 COP 553.4K

$83.7 ZMW 1,598

110.48%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$11.07 ZMW 211

20.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$56.7 ZMW 1,083

-47.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

$56.4 ZMW 1,076

-20.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

$15.97 ZMW 305

6.83%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$6.37 ZMW 122

-2.67%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$793 COP 2.5M

$147 ZMW 2,802

440.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$16.6K ZMW 317.2K

-45.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$24.76 ZMW 473

245.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$16.00 ZMW 306

265.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$47.84 ZMW 914

184.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$77.1 ZMW 1,472

33.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$389 ZMW 7,424

172.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$183 ZMW 3,492

271.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$1,118 ZMW 21.3K

80.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$596 ZMW 11.4K

95.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$1,896 ZMW 36.2K

116.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$5,285 ZMW 100.9K

-67.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$336 ZMW 6,414

98.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-62.28%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lusaka: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $389 in Lusaka. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 98% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $32.00 in Lusaka for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $249 per month, with Lusaka cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Medellin vs Lusaka: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Lusaka differ by about 89% in total monthly costs ($1,716 vs $907 including rent). Lusaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 98% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,060 in Medellin versus $389 in Lusaka. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,716 per month in Medellin versus $907 in Lusaka – a 89% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lusaka runs roughly 49% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $907 in Lusaka versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lusaka but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Lusaka the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Lusaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.